Moscow, Russia - The Russian Orthodox Church has a negative attitude towards the American bestseller The Da Vinci Code being made into a film, spokesman for the Moscow Patriarchate told RIA Novosti on Wednesday.
“The book borders on blasphemy and is an insult to the feelings of believers, but that an image or a film is a much bigger insult,” Father Mikhail Dudko argues. As concerns The Da Vincu Code the Orthodox Church is in agreement with the Catholic Church, he added.
However the Church realizes an open argument would only raise additional interest and attract attention to the film, he said.
“Probably we should pay less attention to this work which does not deserve any of this attention.”
Earlier the Orthodox Church denounced Dan Brown’s book, saying the author’s attempt to rewrite the New Testament was meant to legitimize personal and social vices by attributing them to Jesus Christ himself.
Ron Howard’s The Da Vinci Code, starring Tom Hanks and Ian McKellen, is to be released in May 2006.